Firebird
by leafxrose1312
Summary: In this world of twelve tribes, anything can happen. What will happen when the successors from the Phoenix and Dragon Tribe, fated enemies, meet? An adventure of a lifetime that will uncover powers that will place the fate of the tribes in their hands! FULL SUMMARY INSIDE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so one day I just got like this new fanfic idea, and I had to get it out of my head or else it'd be impossible for me to continue ideas for Forbidden Love. Anyways on top of pokemon I also like *love* Greek mythology especially the mythological creatures (lol blame Percy Jackson for getting me so addicted) I hope you guys like this story! Oh yea and I kinda made up some of the creatures. Some are also based off pokemon that I kinda messed around with. Also in the story there will be certain elements from other animes and movies. I do not own Pokemon, the mythological creatures, or other elements I added. Full summary of story below and some other stuff. **

**Leaf ^-^**

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Summary: In this world of mythological creatures there are exactly 12 tribes of people, each one having dominance over a creature. The two most highly powerful and respected tribes were the Phoenix and Dragon Tribes who are sworn enemies. Love/marriage is highly forbidden between these two tribes. What will happen when two girls from the Phoenix Tribe and two boys from the Dragon Tribe meet? Rated T just in case.

_Drew and Paul: 170,000 years old_

_May: 165,000 years old_

_Dawn: 150,000 years old_

Twelve Tribes

Dragon

Phoenix

Gryffin

Hippocampi

Sea Serpent

Pegasus

Unicorn

Nine tailed Fox

Snowy Tiger

Millennial Aldabroise

Luniron

Dakalune

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

**Prologue **

Two figures covered in the shadows slowly glided through a dark hallway, the gentle rustle of their clothes the only sound in the dead silent atmosphere. They were currently in a long forgotten and abandoned temple. Its ancient but strong brown walls seemed to be crumbling, and locks of ivy were crawling up every corner. However, it was still intact and was protected from most elements, if not all. The duo kept on walking, taking twists and turns through the maze-like hallways until they reached a tall wall. It looked plain, and could have been mistaken for any other wall in the temple. The second figure raised its hand and _CRASH! _came a loud boom as the wall was blasted apart, revealing an empty room with brown walls that were still in perfect condition. A single milky-white pedestal rested quietly in the center.

_"Do you really think this is right?" _the first figure asked anxiously, stepping over the fallen stones. .

The second figure grunted, _"The time has come." _

_ "The power is too strong...what if it lands in the wrong hands?"_

_ "Fate will have its way." _After a long silence, the first figure finally nodded its head. Both slowly opened their clenched hands to reveal magnificent jewels that glimmered like the brightest stars.

_"In the name of the powers of seven within thee, conceal the secrets hidden by eternity," _they chanted. The jewels slowly rose and floated into the pedestal. A deep rumbling began shaking the temple before darkness suddenly caped over the place.

_"Our work is done," _the second figure whispered before vanishing into thin air along with the first figure.

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**Chapter 1: **

**(May's POV) **

I sat in my dressing room, where fiery red walls were painted pictures of phoenixes with such skill, they seemed to fly away. A soft tinkle of bells echoed across the room, and I looked up. I smiled softly and pressed a button to open a sky window above me, allowing a magnificent red bird to gracefully fly in. Her fiery red wings glinted in the sun as they spread to their maximum length: ten feet-and yet still growing each passing day. The golden crown of its head shone and its long tail trailed behind as it slowly descended. I ran over, practically tripping over my dress, and tumbled into the phoenix.

"You're back, Flare!" I cried and gave the giant bird a hug, ignoring the flames still flickering around it.

_'Yeah,' _Flare chirped, preening her feathers as the last of the flames swirling around her died down. _ 'What's with the dress?' _

I rolled my eyes, "How many times have I told you? Today is the Millennial Convention of the 12 tribes that happens every a thousand years during the winter solstice."

_'Oh, that thing,' _I could hear her thinking. _'I heard that there's delicious food there.' _

I giggled before twirling around once. "Do you like my dress?" The phoenix cocked its head, studying the garment. It was a long, sleeveless red dress that seemed to shimmer like fire every time I moved. The top was made of a tight fitting fabric that hugged my curves perfectly. Below the hips, the dress flared out and swished around me. My brown hair hung down and curled in perfect locks that draped over my shoulders.

_'Looks pretty,' _Flare chirped before returning to preen her feathers. I smiled and went back down to sit at my table. Looking in the mirror, I put on the final accessory, the Phoenix tribe's Princess Crown, a red headband with nine phoenix tail feathers attached to it that flowed down over the back of my head, acting like the crown of a phoenix. I felt Flare's steady gaze on my back. "What...?" I piped up.

_'Doesn't look like a regular dress that people in this tribe would wear.' _

"Yea, but since it's a special occasion Queen Asuna, made us dress in more formal dresses," I answered as I studied my hair.

_I should go check on Dawn, _I thought quietly to myself . I picked up my dress so that I wouldn't trip on the hem and walked quickly over to the door.

"I'll be back in a flash!" I called to Flare before striding across the hallway to another dressing room.

"Dawn!" I called, poking my head into her room. "Are you ready?"

"EEEK!" I heard a shriek from inside. I shook my head knowingly before walking in and closing the door behind me.

"AAAHHH!" Dawn screamed as she furiously brushed her hair. I walked over and looked at her dress. It was a rose red single-sleeve dress that drifted past her ankles. There was a slit on the left side up to her mid thigh, showing off her legs.

"Maayy!" Dawn whined, "My hair won't stay down!" I laughed at her phoenix, Aurora, who was sitting on the side looking rather annoyed with her partner at the moment. I grabbed her long comb before running it through her silky, dark blue hair and quickly pulled it into a loose, low ponytail with strands of hair framing her face. I then gently slipped her crown onto her head.

"Thanks, sis! You're the best." Dawn beamed. I giggled before slipping back into my own room.

Technically, Dawn and I aren't sisters. Well, not biological ones. We're only sisters because we are both possible heirs to the throne of the Phoenix Tribe. Our queen, Flannery Asuna, chose us out of the thousands of young girls who participated in the Emberdia Game Event. The Emberdia Game was a tournament that happened once every hundred years. It acted as a tracker for your mentors and parents to see how much you improved. Girls would go through a series of tests that involve mental and physical tests ranging from obstacle fields to trekking through the jungles for three days on end to solving riddles. There was a special Emberdia game every time the current queen reached three hundred thousand years. That year, the Queen must choose two girls that participated in the tournament to become her successors. Once the Queen decides to step down from her throne or something sudden happens, then the two successors would compete in another event to determine who would rule the Phoenix Tribe and who would become the leader of the Twelve Council, a council who helped make decisions for the tribe with the Queen.

Loud knocks on the door snapped me out from my train of thoughts. "May!" I heard Queen Asuna's voice call. "We're leaving in a couple of minutes! Have you completed your preparations?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" I shouted back. I spun around to the door and beckoned for Flare to follow me. I stepped out and beamed at Queen Asuna. Like always, she was dressed elegantly and had an aura of pride. Her red dress had sleeves that hung off the side of her shoulders while swaying around her loosely. Around her arms was a decorative shawl embroidered with flames. Her fiery red hair matched perfectly with the whole outfit.

I briskly walked through the halls until I reached the unloading area, located at the top of Mount Erena, a large active volcano. Normally, our tribe doesn't live in volcanoes. Yes, we lived around them and worshipped them, but we only meet inside them when special occasions needed to be discussed, such as the Millennial Convention of the 12 Tribes. The Millennial Convention was formed hundreds of millions of years ago when our ancestors concluded that they needed a time to gather in peace. During this time, fighting and argument were forbidden, or else you would suffer the consequence of exile for your whole tribe. This meeting was probably the only time in a year that all the twelve tribes could meet up and talk about many subjects, like droughts, food shortage, wars...you get the flow. Any other time in the year, peace talks are impossible.

I looked around, staring at the hundreds people who were going to accompany us to the meeting. Being one of the largest tribes, more members were required to attend. I slowly led Flare up the steps to the take-off area where a person was already calling out role-call.

"May Haruka and Alona Flare!" the woman boomed. "Here," I screamed halfway across the crater, hoping fervently that I was heard. Every person in the Phoenix Tribe had two names, their birth name and their spiritual name. Your spiritual name was given to you when you bonded with your phoenix for the first time. That is also when you learn your phoenix's full name. Flare's full name is Alona Flare, and from her, I learned my spiritual name, Haruka.

"Dawn Hikari and Fiorala Aurora!"

"Here!" I heard a shrill voice respond as Dawn ran up panting with Aurora soaring above her. Following behind was Queen Asuna, walking gracefully with her dress and shawl billowing behind her. "All are here," she proclaimed, and then leaped onto her phoenix. Everybody in the party followed suit. I excitedly leaped onto Flare in one motion after many years of practice. Everyone crowded to the edge of the volcano in preparation.

"Take off!" I heard. I gripped Flare's back excitedly as, one by one the phoenixes lept off the rim in quick succession. As Flare hurtled down the surface of the volcano with her wings and legs tucked close to her body, I leaned down in order to keep myself from experiencing the pressure of the turbulence and to allow us to be as streamlined as possible. Suddenly, a pair of wings snapped out as Flare detected a rising current of warm air. In the snap of a second, I had gone from seeing the foot of the volcano to viewing ahead at the blue sky, the sun, and the horizon. I smiled wide and sat up straight as Flare gently rode from one air current to another, preserving energy. The thrill of riding a phoenix never left me, even though I had started phoenix-riding when I was eight. Sitting on top of a magnificent red bird, you could feel the silky feathers on its back and the powerful muscles rippling when she beat her wings. As Flare soared higher into the sky, I could feel the rising sun giving off its strength and its glow. The Phoenix Tribe got its power from the sun, the symbol of fire and life. It also made a phoenix's feathers a very special hue of red, one that is iridescent and unmatched in nature. I gently steered Flare to the left, following Queen Asuna as we flew towards Ennead Forest, home of the Nine-Tailed Tribe.

* * *

**(Still May's POV) **

I could feel Flare's happiness as she soared over the Ennead Forest, rumored to be the most beautiful place in the world. The rumor wasn't too far off from the truth; even though it was already the winter solstice, all the leaves on the trees were a healthy shade of green. If you swooped closer, you could see crystal clear waterfalls and brooks running through the forest. I heard a sound similar to wind chimes emitting from Flare; she was content. _'It's so pretty,' _I heard in my head. I smiled before gently steering Flare towards a giant sycamore tree located in the center of a clearing in the heart of the forest. Under the tree was a stage along with tables piled with refreshments. I could tell that six of the twelve tribes had already arrived and were chattering excitedly.

A sudden hush fell over the groups as all the phoenixes hovered over the ground without letting a single feather disturb the dirt. Their passengers leapt off gracefully. Queen Asuna quickly walked over to Dawn and me. "I expect both of you to be on your best behavior," she whispered softly so that only Dawn and I could hear. "Dawn, don't bounce and skip around so much. May, don't trip or stuff yourself with food." My face turned slightly red at this statement, but I quickly composed myself and instructed Flare to fly up in the sky, sensing her urge of exploring the skies. Then, I quickly fell in three steps behind Queen Asuna as she began walking towards the center where the seven tribes currently here were waiting. I quickly scanned my eyes over them, trying to remember who was who. Erika Chiharu Azalea: leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Tribe, Brock Suevite Takeshi: leader of the Millenial Aldabroise Tribe, Cynthia Shirona: leader of the Snowy Tiger Tribe, Sabrina Natsume: leader of the Dakalune Tribe, Falkner Hayato Wings: leader of the Gryffin Tribe, Jasmine Mikan Ginseng: leader of the Unicorn Tribe, and Winona Nagi Skies: leader of the Pegasus Tribe.

I saw Erika Chiharu Azalea step forward and give a bow slightly. "Welcome, Flannery Asuna, to my tribe's home, Ennead Forest." Dawn and I bowed along with Queen Asuna. Then the other leaders began talking and a slight nod from Queen Asuna indicated that we were free to go. I quickly walked over to the refreshment table.

One of the customs that had sprung up through all these Millennial Convention were that each tribe was to bring a few dishes of some of their traditional food each time. Those were saved for later after all the talks, but I had heard others say there was always a few snacks out provided by the tribe hosting the meeting that year. On the table were huge plates of seasoned shiitake mushrooms, dried fruits, a pink liquid with raspberries floating on top, and something wrapped in banana leaves in the shape of a three sided pyramid. I quickly walked over and gingerly took one of the banana leaf wrapped substances and unwrapped it. Inside was a small mound of sweet rice with almonds and raisins. Noting the fact that people were watching, I took small bites and made my way to the edge of the crowd. Through my emotional link with Flare, I felt her flying and chattering with a gryffin, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

This was my first time at a Millennial Convention. Regular members of each tribe could attend once they reached the age of 200,000. As a successor, though, I was allowed to come when I was only 150,000. I wanted to wait for Dawn to come too, so instead I spent a lot of those years visiting the different tribes and learning from them. I had already visited most of the tribes and planned on visiting the rest sometime soon.

I quickly scanned my eyes over the crowd and spotted Dawn talking to Yellow Isayu of the Unicorn Tribe. I smiled, remembering my studies with that tribe. Yellow had been especially friendly and welcoming to me. Suddenly I felt everybody's gaze shift towards the west. A resounding roar sounded through the skies, indicating more tribes were arriving. Through the trees I could the Tribe of Luniron streaking towards the clearing. Behind them, I saw the Hippocampi and Sea Serpent Tribes riding on small waves floating in the sky. While everybody was distracted, I quickly stole over to the table and took a small cup of the pink liquid.

I had never wanted to come to these dreadsome meetings in the first place because I couldn't be like everybody else. During this time of temporary peace, each member of a tribe could mingle regularly between the different tribes. But as for me, people look at me in...let's just say, in respect. They either try to avoid me as much as possible, are told by their parents to talk to me, or are just talking to me so their tribe can be on "better terms" with the Phoenix Tribe since we are one of the strongest tribes in the land. Even when they do talk to me, it's polite and courteous, calling me by my full name and never raising their voice. Add on to the fact that my tribe is very big on greetings and manners, I've found it impossible to have a normal conversation even with people around my age. This leads to the fact that even though I had traveled a lot for the past years, I didn't have a lot of friends...

I suddenly felt an arm rest lightly on my right shoulder and somebody poke me playfully in the side. I whirled around quickly and spotted a head of messy black hair and another head of ginger hair.

"Satoshi! Kasumi!" I cried before giving each of them a hug. Ash Satoshi of the Sea Serpent Tribe and Kasumi Misty Waterflower of the Hippocampi: two people I could truly talk to. Maybe it's just the fact that both of their tribes were generally laid back and not that big on formalities. I had loved my time with the Hippocampi Tribe, and the Sea Serpent Tribe usually traveled all over the place, but I did have the great fortune to meet some of them during my stay with the Hippocampi, which is where I met Ash. As I quickly talked to them and caught up with what they had been doing for the last few thousand years, I looked around and saw that only one tribe was still not present. Of course, it was the Dragon Tribe...who always thought they were so superior, so much stronger, so much more cunning, hah as if! They were nothing more than mere weaklings who tried to intimidate people with their so called "power and strength". Complete disgrace those men brought to the world...

"May? May?...MAY!?" I jumped and saw that Misty and Ash were looking at me worriedly.

"Sorry, Kasumi," I smiled earnestly, "I've had a lot on my mind lately." I felt Misty give me a smack on the head. "Oww, what was that for?!"

"How many times must I tell you?! Call us by our first names, not our spiritual ones!"

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Instinct."

"Yew Feeenix pweble meh tooo pwelish awll dee thyimes," I turned around and laughed at Ash who was currently stuffing his face with three of those banana wrapped rice balls.

"ASH!" Misty screamed. Her face was red like a tomato. "Is that any way for a successor of the Sea Serpent Tribe to act?"

I raised my eyebrow questioningly. "When did you become successor, Ash?" Ash swallowed and gave a big thumbs up, "Not long after you left from your visit to the Hippocampi. Queen Clair decided it was about time that she started teaching everything she knew to a new successor."

"Congratulations!" I cheered, bouncing up slightly before quickly smoothing out my dress and looking around nervously.

"The dragons are coming," Misty softly whispered, gesturing towards the sky. I felt my body tense up before I forced it relax. Flare sent me an image of the tribe and their dragons. Dragons were majestic creatures, I admit, but they would never match up to the beauty and grace of a phoenix. Especially not with trainers THEY had. The constant chattering in the clearing a minute ago immediately dropped into dead silence as the Dragon Tribe began their descent. I located Dawn a little off to the right and saw that she was standing near Zoey, one of our tribe members, who was glaring daggers at the group. I turned back and studied the dragon in the lead. It was the dragon of the King, Lance Wataru of the Ocean Depth. I would never understand why people of the Dragon Tribe had such long names or even why we had to learn about them.

"Complete waste of time," I mumbled quietly.

"What?" Ash asked rather loudly in the silence, so that everybody turned around to look at us. My face turned slightly red and I shifted my gaze back to the leader's dragon. It was a beautiful shade of green with a sea green mane. Behind him were two boys whose faces caught my eyes. One had an expression as hard as stone with purple hair like the summer plums, and the other seemed to look down at all us as inferiors, though HE was the one who had ridiculous green hair, which had the gorgeous shade akin to the one belonging to the leaves still growing in Ennead Forest. I narrowed my eyes...everybody in the Dragon Tribe were wearing capes, and as King Wataru dismounted from his dragon and walked over to greet the other leaders, he swept his cape behind him as the two boys followed.

"I apologize for my clan for arriving late," King Wataru bowed low, "but now that we've arrived, let the meeting begin!" he bellowed raising a fist in the air. Various cheers echoed through the crowd, though the Phoenix Tribe remained silent. I took a deep breath and followed Misty and Ash towards the front near the stage as all the leaders mounted it.

Queen Chiharu stepped forward and began, "I would first like to thank all of you for granting my tribe the great honor of hosting the Millennial Convention this year. It is a pleasure to see all of us gathered here on this fine day in peace and harmony. As for my tribe, we have recently had an issue with drou..." As the speeches continued, each tribe leader going up and updating everybody on their situations, I felt my attention slowly dragging away. Instead, I found myself focusing on the two boys from the Dragon Tribe. Their faces were blank, impassionate, unreadable, like a dead fire.

'_Haruka,' _I heard Flare's voice, _"why are you looking at those two boys?' _I smiled. I had forgotten that Flare and my thoughts were connected.

'_I think they are the successors of the Dragon Tribe Flare. They look so cold and unfriendly, like...the whole tribe itself.'_

'_Yea, up here their dragons are just talking amongst themselves-not like anybody is going to talk to them anyways.' _I covered my mouth to stop myself from laughing as I felt Flare sneering at a group of dragons. My attention immediately snapped back to the stage when I heard Queen Asuna say, "And now, for a special presentation! This year, we have something of interest. All successors from the different tribes are present."

"May we ask all of them to come up here?" Queen Clair Ibuki of the Sea Serpent Tribe stated. I slowly walked up the stairs and padded over to where Dawn was standing. Then all the leaders made us say a short introduction about ourselves. _The things that grown-ups do..._I already knew most of these people, but some of them were new to me. Lyra Kotone Willow: successor of the Nine-tailed, Silver Shruike: successor of the Dakalune, Jimmy Kenta: successor of the Luniron, and those two guys from the Dragon tribe, Drew Shuu of the Rising Waves and Paul Shinji of the Tidal Currents. Once everybody finished introducing themselves, that kid named Drew suddenly stepped forward.

"If you may excuse me so kindly," he said, flashing a smile at the audience before flipping his hair. I could have sworn half of the girls in the clearing swooned. "I," he proclaimed, swinging around and pointing his finger towards Dawn and me, "challenge you to a duel of Venex."

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**A/N: For anybody that reads this story could you suggest a good title for this? or if you think that it should just stick with "Firebird" and dun dun dun cliffy dont worry the second chapter is coming up soon.**

**R&R!**

**Leaf ^-^**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm so sorrrryy for leaving all of you guys here for so long but for everybody who reviewed on the first chapter or even viewed thank you so much for not just giving those simple reviews like "Please Update" I will be posting a few fun facts about my story up here now that I may not be able to include in the chapters so make sure to read them**

**~.~.~.~.~**

-Ages:

Drew and Paul 170,000 years old (roughly 17 in our world)

May 165,000 (roughly 16)

Dawn 150,000 (roughly 15)

Last Chapter: "I challenge you to a Duel of Venex!"

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**(May's POV) **

Silence lingered in the air, which gradually melted into a gentle murmur.

_Isn't this against the rules..._

_ …...What is he doing?..._

_ …...They are sworn enemies..._

_ …...Does his tribe wish for fighting?..._

_ …...Two powerheads..._

_ …...The results aren't going to be good..._

I felt Dawn's hand grip my arm tightly. She was shivering, though it was hardly noticeable-she had every good reason to. The Duel of Venex was a duel created millennials ago by the twelve tribes as a competition. Back then, its main purpose was to test different tribes' strengths against one another. The rules were simple: a battle of weapons and no elemental powers allowed. If you could get your weapon in a position where it could kill the other opponent, you would win.

A special tournament would be held every one hundred thousand years in Venex, a territory that was located where many tribes' lands touched. However, the tradition had been lost over time; nowadays, to challenge somebody to a Duel of Venex can be viewed as mockery of the tribe's power and strength in a roundabout way.

On top of that, the Dragon Tribe is well known for their brutal strength. From a young age, their boys are trained in all sorts of weapons mastery. There were some rumors out there of how a single member could take out ten people under five seconds. Personally, I've never believed them.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Leader Shirona step forward.

"And what exactly do you..." Gently, I pushed aside Dawn's hand and stepped forward, interrupting Leader Shirona. I bowed apologetically.

"I accept your challenge, Drew Shuu of the Rising Waves." Across the stage, I could see that Shuu kid smirking next to King Wataru. He knew I wouldn't turn him down. I couldn't tell what the Dragon Tribe was planning, but I wouldn't let them insult my tribe. Not here. Not like this. Through the corner of my eyes, I saw Queen Asuna's face. Her expression was hard to read, and I couldn't tell if she agreed to my stance. Other tribes' leaders stared at Drew and me, some with amazement and some with disbelief, though most faces bore a mixture of both. Then that plum-haired guy stepped forward. If I recalled correctly, his name was Paul Shinji of the Tidal Currents, second successor of the Dragon Tribe.

"How exactly do you expect to fight in _that_ outfit," he scoffed, glancing at my dress.

Queen Chiharu softly said, "I can let Haruka here borrow one of my tribe's outfits just for the Duel."

"I would appreciate that to no ends," I answered, bowing slightly.

"This isn't allowed." Clair Ibuki, leader of the Sea Serpent Tribe, stepped forward and swept her gaze over Shuu and me. "This meeting is about truce. What exactly do you think you're doing challenging and accepting a Duel of Venex?"

"Personally, I don't see anything wrong with it." King Wataru stepped forward; his face seemed solemn, but the smirk beneath it was visible enough. "We are all done with our reports and have nothing of importance to discuss that. Shuu here has not done anything wrong, and if you have not forgotten, the Duel of Venex is a competition, not a fight. Just think of it as a little entertainment for this party here. Nobody will get hurt, and I honestly don't think it will hurt our relation with the Phoenix Tribe anymore than it already has." At that statement, Queen Asuna glared back but said nothing.

Tension lingered in the air between the leaders, but nobody said anything against King Wataru.

"Well, that's settled! Everyone else, please enjoy the dishes brought by the twelve tribes." King Wataru called. The crowd slowly began to mingle, as if trying to ease the tension. I walked down the steps along with the rest of the successors, avoiding their eyes. Out of spirits, I trudged over to the refreshments table and grabbed something random. It was a cupped leaf about the size of my hand, with various fruits and drizzled honey piled on top. I chewed slowly until I felt a light tap on my arm.

"Sis, are you sure about this?" Dawn nervously asked.

"I'll be fine," I smiled. "He can't hurt me; it's against the rules, and I doubt he could even if he tried."

Two hands suddenly grabbed me by the arms and half-dragged me to the outskirts of the crowds. It was Ash and Misty. All around me, I could feel eyes from the different tribes piercing my back.

Ash started, "I'm pretty sure you know the weapon mastery of the Dragon Tribe, May." His voice was uncharacteristically husky and serious.

"That one boy has probably had ten times more training than you've ever had in your lifetime," Misty grudgingly added.

I bit my bottom lip at the statement but calmly explained, "I understand perfectly fine, but I know you guys wouldn't back down either if you were in my place. It's not about me, and there's no way I can let Dawn fight this. I'm not trying to be offensive or anything, but she's much less experienced than me, so I have the better chance here." At those last words, I finished off my small treat and felt a train of thoughts from Flare.

_Haruka, what in the world are you doing? _I heard her mumble.

_ 'I'll be fine, Flare. Do you know which dragon is Shuu's?' _Flare sent me an image through her mind. There were two dragons. One was blue with a silvery blue sheen that began near the head and progressively grew darker and darker until a royal blue resulted at the tips of the tail. When you scrutinized the spikes on its back, you could see light streaks of lime green that gradually faded into a dark green, almost black. The second dragon was mainly dark gray, like the color of wet stones, but when it turned its body, you could see light flashes here and there, indicating a few indigo scales. The scales on its back were a pure raven black that reflected no light in the bright sun.

'_Hmm...based on all the dragons up here it's either the extremely jittery blue one or the extremely boring dark-colored one._

_ 'It's the blue one then. Don't lend me any of your powers during the duel. Do you hear me, Flare?"'_

Before I could get a reply, I saw Lyra Kotone Willow, the successor of the Nine Tailed Fox Tribe approach me with a bundle in her hands. Up close, she was the picture of grace. Her brown hair was tied to the sides in two pigtails, and her white sundress with its green leaf patterns truly brought out the internal nature of her tribe. She quickly unwrapped the bundle with her dexterous fingers and held up a beautiful kimono to me. I accepted it politely and began to inspect it. The ruby-colored fabric was as soft as silk, yet sturdy like cotton, obviously altered by the tribe themselves. The obi* was a golden yellow with soft stitchings of foxes across it.

"My tribe took one of my spare kimonos. We're about the same size, so it should be able to fit you," Lyra stated. "Follow me." I quickly trailed behind her to a wide tree some distance from the gathering. The trunk was hollow, so I changed inside there and hurried back with her. The kimono fit perfectly and was flexible enough for me to move freely.

"Good luck," I heard Lyra whisper, barely even audible as we parted ways. I handed my bundle of clothes to Dawn before walking over to Queen Asuna.

"I believe in you. Just remember everything you've learned. You have as good as a chance as any." I gave a determined nod before walking on stage where the duel was going to be held. My flats tapped across the wooden floor as I walked towards the center until I was hardly a foot away from my opponent. The leaders of the twelve tribes were gathering everybody's attention towards the center stage.

"Heh, I see you changed," a voice sneered.

"Yes," I answered back quietly. Shuu-boy flipped his hair. (Ugh, that's already annoying me.)

"Good luck," he said. I stared at him in surprise but managed to reply, "You too." Then his whole attitude just reverted back to its original state. "You'll need it. You better not make this a waste of my time. I expect some battle from your weak self, and don't think that just because you're a girl I'm going to go easy on you. If your swordsmanship is half as good as people say your tribe is, this should be rather entertaining. On the other hand, if it's not, it'll just prove how much more successful the Dragon Tribe is than the Phoenix."

I laughed softly. "You think you're so great, don't you-so strong, so good at fighting? Sadly, I think you're going to be quite disappointed today."

"You have a great sense of humor, May Haruka of the Phoenix Tribe. Let me inform you one thing: in all my years of training, I have never lost a fight to anyone except for my own master."

"And in all my years of living, I have never seen a man brag this much just before a duel." I retorted.

"All competitors to their place!" a man called. From the looks of it, he was from the Griffin Tribe. _He must be the referee,_ I thought quietly as we both stepped backwards until we were both about five meters away from where we were standing a few moments ago. Queen Chiharu walked to me and handed me a katana. Then she strode over to Shuu-boy and gave him a double edged sword.

_'Haruka, she never asked us what weapons you wanted,' _Flare said suddenly, sounding worried.

"The katana is the Phoenix Tribe's main duel weapon, and the same goes for the Dragon Tribe and the double-edged sword. It's natural for us to use them."

_'Hmm...I see. That weedhead's dragon is just watching right now. He doesn't seem like he's doing anything.'_

I laughed so that only she could hear. "Weed-head, a suitable name. Okay, make sure to keep watch with him."

_'Mmm-hmm. Good luck, Haruka.'_

The referee began to talk. "The Duel of Venex is a tradition that has passed down from generation to generation. It is a battle of arms that tests strength and wits. If you harm your opponent in this duel of you will be disqualified. Most importantly, you may not-"

"Excuse my rude interruption, but I don't think this explanation is necessary for me, my opponent, or for the general crowd, unless there is a single creature here that has not learned his or her history of the 12 Tribes properly. This speech brings no entertainment to the audience, so, uh, how about _skipping_ all of that and getting right down to business." A few audible gasps were heard from the audience as "weed-head" interrupted the referee.

The man looked thoroughly annoyed, but a quick nod from me indicated that I was ready. He raised both of his hands into the air. "Very well, please do not move from your places until after the duel has begun. Ahem. _By the powers of the sun and moon, BEGIN!_" he hollered and slammed both of his hands down into the ground.

Just as the signal was given, Shuu sprinted forward, his legs a blur and his blade barred in front of him. I felt all of my battle instincts kick in, and immediately I shifted my weight onto both of my legs, stabilizing my stance. I kept my eyes trained on his blade and body position steady while fixing my own blade's position diagonally across my body.

_…..By feigning left, the sword is open to the right, top and bottom..._

I waited, holding my ground and watched as the silver gleam of the blade came closer and closer. The second the wind from the blade ruffled my hair, I jumped right and rolled my body back around. My sword's tip was now pointed at him. He turned back immediately and deflected my blade. In the minutes we parried, I deduced that 1) both weapons were very dull; I hardly think I could even cut somebody with it 2) they were about the same length 3) Weedhead's fighting method relied on strength and stability. By staying close to the ground, his center of gravity increases along with his stability in his movements and stance. As a result, he can use the immense strength of the sword to his advantage. Oh yes. Number four...he has a great amount of experience based on how he just dodged my attack.

To my surprise though, we are evenly matched in fighting skills; what I lack in strength I make up with speed and flexibility. On the other hand, what he lacks in speed he makes up for with his size. I barely missed a slash that would have scraped my cheek and jumped back. Then I sprinted forward and thrusted my katana up. With a flick of my wrist, it swings left, which Shuu manages to counter attack. He throws a few blows aimed toward my upper body, although I evade easily by shifting to the sides. I continue to dodge until one move came quicker than the rest, forcing me to roll around it. Taking advantage of the moment, Drew immediately swung his swords towards my feet, which were currently unbalanced...NOW!

I tensed my leg muscles and sprang up, landing perfectly on the flat of Shuu's sword with the tip of my toes. I ran forward in light, quick steps on the sword, aiming my katana towards his neck. So close...nearly there...but suddenly, he jerked his arm straight up. A normal toss like that would have just made me fall, but this one sent me flying back. Apparently, the Dragon Tribe's strength is not just a legend-I mean, really, that was one powerful thrust. A backwards somersault landed me nimbly on my feet a few meters away.

He came at me the next instant. Soon, our two blades clashed in the center with a deafening clang. We returned to parrying, attacking and defending every now and then. By now, he probably had a good insight about my fighting skills. If we kept this up, I would lose soon enough. With all this in mind, I barely managed to shield my face from a blow that knocked me back a few feet. By this time, I was breathing a little harder, and I could tell Shuu wasn't in that good shape either. I had to end this now. Building up as much power as I could, I sprinted towards my opponent-good, his sword was shifted upwards-and right before we collided, I squatted down and unbent one of my knees, sliding under his sword and him. Quickly, I swung my katana back around and up, pointing at his neck- only to find a silver blade at mine too.

Both of us were panting heavily. Sweat was streaming down our faces, but our eyes and muscles were still tense, as if the fight had not yet ended. The audience was as silent as a tomb until the referee called out, "TIE! The two competitors placed each other in the fatal position at the same time. This duel has officially came to an end."

'_He was really fast, Haruka.' _I heard Flare's voice softly call. Now that the duel was over, she was free to talk to me. I slowly stood up and gave a bow to my opponent, as was required for formality, but inside I could hardly contain my exhilaration. _I just tied with a member of the Dragon Tribe, boys who have trained since they could run! And this Shuu kid is the __**successor**__ of the Dragon Tribe too. _As I looked up from my bow, I saw a small smirk on Grasshead's face, and look indicating he was finally taking me seriously.

"You got lucky, rookie," he whispered in a barely audible voice as he returned the bow and walked off stage.

I smiled and walked off stage, softly answering Flare, "Yes, he truly is something. That speed was incredible." I gratefully accepting the cold punch Dawn handed me.

'_In that split second that your left side was vulnerable, he took advantage of you and put you into the fatal position.'_

I laughed. "I'm surprised you could even keep up, Flare."

'_I've never seen you try that hard before in a duel of arms. Even so, you still won against those monster trainers!' _

I couldn't help myself and accidentally bounced on my toes for a bit. "I know!" Before I could continue, King Wataru's voice boomed through the meeting area.

"Now, that was a fine duel, was it not? Sadly, it has come to my attention that something is happening around our home in the ocean, as a messenger reported." He gestured to a man standing by a jittery dragon on the outskirts of the crowd. "It is a shame to have to leave this early, but until next time. May the tides bring you luck and fortune." The whole crowd watched silently as the members of the Dragon Tribe jumped onto their dragons and flew away. I could see Shu's head down, with his hair covering his face, completely blocking his expressions.

When the last dragon rider had flown away, a wave of people swept over me and engulfed me in their arms, cheering at the top of their lungs. Once the crowd was back under control, Queen Chiharu of the Nine-Tailed Tribe stepped up and announced, "Though some may have departed, the celebration will not end here. All tribes are welcome to stay here well after the moon and stars have appeared! Now, all the official food will be served." I watched as members of the tribes surged towards the refreshment table grabbing everything they can. A bonfire was lit in the middle of the grass and different tribe members started showing off their powers.

"Hey, Hot-Head, you sure got lucky," came a voice from behind me. I whirled around to find a boy around my age sporting a white hat and a Snowy Tiger vest.

"Brendan!" I cried, running to give him a hug. "I haven't seen you in forever! How have you been?" Brendan was one of my childhood friends. Our parents knew each other; thus, we're really close.

"Well, training in the mountains was tough. It's so cold up there. It feels like summer right now."

"Well, maybe that's why you're wearing only one layer." I laughed gently and punched his arm.

"Come on, let's go get some food to eat,"

"Alright."

The rest of the night passed in a breeze. I sampled forty different foods, then had a small, casual duel with Ash. After that, Lyra and I exchanged stories of our training and became friends. At midnight, Dawn and I performed the Phoenix Fire Dance with ten other members of our tribe for the audience. One by one, everybody eventually left as the sun started creeping up over the horizon. But during the whole night and through the sunrise, there was one thought always made me smile in triumph, one that never went away: I HAD JUST BEATEN AN EXPERIENCED MEMBER OF THE DRAGON TRIBE!

* * *

**(Drew's POV) **

"Shuu, do I need to mention how much you have disgraced yourself and the whole Dragon Tribe?" I bowed my head down as my Master lectured me over my recent defeat.

"That girl is a mere rookie, and yet, you overlooked her incoming attack. How many times must I drill this into your head: Phoenix fighters are clever."

I tried to reply as respectfully as I could, but after half a sunrise of kneeling with this lecture at my ears, I was getting thoroughly annoyed. "I understand, Master. I will do my best to improve on my meager skills and redeem our dignity the next time around."

"NEXT TIME?! A member of the dragon tribe should not need a 'next time'!" my master sneered. I heard footsteps and a door creaking. Before he could go on another rant, a voice interrupted him: "I think that's enough, Master. I can take it on from here; other students need your council, too." I heard a snort and a door slamming closed.

I kept my head bowed. A voice softly accused, "I hope you know by now not to take what the Master says to heart."

"Better than most people," I grunted.

"He only means the best for all of us, and he expects you to go to the training center for the next few moonrises and complete quests 870 through 900 in that time. Your time there is cut short due to a meeting you must attend later on. Now go."

I rose up, stretching my sore joints, and walked past my senior. "Thanks, Steven."

He laughed and punched my playfully in the sides. "No prob, just don't beat yourself over this too much, okay, Drew?"

I chuckled, "Nah, no sweat," before I walked outside and called for Teikado, who flew me to the Gunired, where I changed into a simple training uniform: black pants with a white **keikogi on top.

'_I still find it unfair that I can't go in with you,' _Teikado grumbled.

"It's a training of our bodies; of course you can't help us. I'll probably be inside for a while, so go hunt or train or do whatever during that time. Take a slight break."

'_Mm...sure. Best of luck, Shuu.' _I watched as my dragon flew off towards the direction of the sea before taking a deep breath and walking forwards into a dark cave feeling resolute. The feast was a mistake. My Master was right on one thing: there is no "second time". _I cannot afford to lose...No, I will not lose. Not to anyone. Especially not to that girl. Never. _I thought quietly before the darkness of the cave completely enveloped me.

* * *

*obi: sash you see tied around kimonos

**keikogi: a training uniform that derived from Japan.

**A/N: Um R&R! and sorry for taking so long aahh but does anybody have any good ideas for names for Dragons or Phoenixes? If you do post them in your review of message me. Thanks~**

**Leaf ^-^**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: For those of you that read the note up here last time, sense of time is very different in this world than in ours since members of the tribe live for a very long time. **

**Fun Fact: Members of the Dragon and Phoenix Tribe live to be about 800,000 years old. Only members of the Millennial Aldabroise can live over a million. **

**So in this world, a whole year may seem like a month or less. Onto the story ^-^ **

* * *

**(May's POV) **

_The time had come for the final showdown. "You have provided me great entertainment, Lucifer," a menacing voice cackled. "Why don't you give up already? Look at your pathetic self, half bleeding to death, almost completely powerless. The only one left on your team is the ranger who can't do hand to hand combat." _  
_"I will not leave here without my friends," Lucifer growled, wiping blood away from his eyes. "And don't you dare call Rilou weak. She has the courage and heart of a *lymonpe." _  
_"Your precious friends...come now, don't be such a pain. I'm offering you and your little ally there a way to get out of here without casting away your life. Do not disappoint me; even the most ignorant of heroes have some degree of common sense," Lord Shiderm called as he descended from the ceiling. _  
_Lucifer snorted in reply. "You are a fool for saying that. My friends are my life, and I will not repeat myself again. Where are you keeping them?" _  
_"Lucifer!" he heard somebody call from behind. "They...they're behind that black door Lord Shiderm is standing in front of. I can feel their magic pressure." Rilou cried out. _  
_Lord Shiderm chuckled before lunging at Lucifer with a black hawthorne staff, "Mistake #1: Never turn your back to an enemy." Rilou watched in horror as over a thousand black crystals darted out of the staff towards the head of Lucifer. As Lucifer turned around..._

"Haruka?! HARUKA?! Are you in here?" I grumbled as I was interrupted the third time today since continuing this book. It had almost been four months since the occurrence at the Twelve Tribes' Meeting. Due to many factors, I was ahead of the majority of my classmates in elemental training and was given free time during some lessons. Usually I would go on a flight with Flare, but since my mom suggested this novel, all my leisure time was spent at the library. I sighed as I closed the book and gently stroked its cover. _Four Blossoms of the Darkness_: a fantasy story based on four heroes, each with their own dark histories that banded together to defeat an evil wizard called Lord Shiderm.  
"Haruka?" I sighed again, but returned the book to the proper shelf and slowly trudged up the winding stairs. "Coming!" I hollered. At the top, I saw my mother with a very annoyed look plastered over her face.

"I have been searching for you everywhere! Gosh, I know you love books, but is this becoming, like, your secret hideout?."

"Ah, sorry. It's really good though," I muttered sheepishly.  
My mother laughed. "That's good to know. Now, Queen Asuna needs your assistance. I don't know what for, but you'd better fly." I gave my mom a quick hug and then bounded out to the main palace as quickly as I could.  
"Mayyyy, where you going?"  
"Slow down, Haruka, you don't want to trip like your usual klutzy self!"

Many of my tribe greeted as I sprinted past my fellow members and almost tumbled into the hall. On a high throne adorned with exquisite images of phoenixes sat Queen Asuna. Her phoenix, Flareaerie, sat obediently beside her, an occasional coo emitting from her beak. _If only Flare could always be that docile_, I thought.

"Yes, my apologies for being tardy," I spoke while giving a courteous bow.  
"No need to be so polite as always. I called you here to run an errand for me. It's been a while since your last visit to the Hippocampi Tribe, hasn't it?"  
"Yes...umm about five years,"  
"Well," she continued while standing up with a parcel in her hand, "it's about time you visit them again, eh? I bet you miss Misty. There are some important documents in here. I want you to give them to King Cresegwa or Kasumi if he's not available. Only those two, you hear me? Don't trust anybody else with it?"  
"I understand," I said.

"Well, since you have so much free time, I'm giving you three days of break there. You can stay there for that long if they allow you, but when you come back, you must return to training hard immediately."

"Yes, I will," I exclaimed with a little jump. _A vacation, that's just awesome!_ I beamed before bowing my head and zipping towards a staircase on the right side of the giant hall.

"Flare? Flare? Where are you? We're going to visit the Hippocampi! Come onnnn...I really want to talk to Kasumi," I called in my head. A trill resolved.

'_I'm up hunting with Firala, but I'll be right there after you finish packing.'_

"Fine with me," I answered as I grabbed _Four Blossoms of the Darkness _from the library and ran back to the palace to pack. After throwing a few things into a backpack, which included the parcel, I changed into my travelling clothes that consisted of a red skirt with gray leggings underneath and a black long sleeved shirt with a brown vest sweater over it. Just in case somebody came looking for me, I scribbled a note and left it on my desk. Then I ran out the side gate at breakneck speed, where Flare was already waiting.

'_So...you never told me why you're going to the Hippocampi Tribe.'_

"I have a package to give to their King, and since I'm ahead of my class, I just get a break."

'_You're not that ahead...' _

"Oh, just be quiet, Flare. I know you want to see your friends there as much as I do." I smoothly slid onto her feathered back. "Let's go."

Flare trilled a high note before slowly unfurling her wings. I felt her legs bunch underneath before shooting straight up in a vertical take off. I laughed jubilantly.

"When did you master the hardest takeoff position?"

'_While you mastered a life in the library,'_

"_Four Blossoms of the Darkness_ is so interesting, though!" I indignantly replied. I watched as the scenery below shifted into a forest of sakura blossom buds. Spring was blossoming no matter how you looked at it, and the scenery was slowly bursting from a bleak gray to a paint pallet. At the far horizon, a thin glimmer of blue, laid the Hippocampi's settlement. I settled down comfortably on Flare's back and returned to reading. If all went well, we'd arrive at the Hippocampi in the afternoon.

* * *

**(Drew's POV) **

I grimaced as I slathered a light green paste onto my wounds. Spending a full moon cycle at the training center had been tiring, and the injuries I had suffered from there were still visible, yet I had to go along on this greeting with our ruler. King Wataru stated that Paul and I had to accompany him (like we had a choice). I groaned as I bandaged myself, dressed, and threw a white cape over my shoulders. Taking one last look at my hair, I grabbed my bag and sauntered outside to where the king was waiting with five other people, including Shinji.  
King Wataru boomed, "I hope you all know what a privilege it is to be welcomed to the Hunt, and I expect all of you to show your magnificent knowledge of the sea world. Prepare to travel fast and arrive before noon."  
Once everybody mounted, the dragons took off, their magnificent scales gleaming against the morning sunlight. I felt Teikado squirming underneath me.  
_'Shuu, you don't seem very excited...' _  
"There's nothing to be excited about, gosh. We're helping in a hunt for a feast; honestly-why all the hassle? There was one just a full moon cycle before and I don't see a point in another one."  
_'But it sounds so fun! Catching all those fishies in my mouth and then having people cook them with lime and pepper...hehe.' _  
"I thought you liked salmon covered in miso the best."  
_'Yeah, but I've recently developed a liking to lime and pepper. It leaves this tangy feeling in my mouth.' _I cracked a smile. Teikado could always make me laugh.  
"Well, that's good to know. I'm going to sleep now, and don't you dare wake me up until we're there."  
_'Yes sir!' _he piped and started to fly faster. I stretched out my sore limbs and closed my eyes. Drowsiness soon overtook me, and I fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

**(May's POV) **

Salty water sprayed into my face, startling me awake. Flare sang happily as she flew over the ocean towards a village grass huts on the other side on the Hippocampi Tribe usually lived in the ocean in coral buildings(thanks to the fact that riders with partners of the water have the ability to breathe underwater from birth), but on land, the tribe lived in grass huts elaborately designed with nearby grass and seaweed. Flare tried to land softly on the outskirts of the huts, but even so, a huge cloud of sand still flew into my eyes. As the dust disappeared, I saw an orange head of hair running in my direction.  
"Kasumi!" I called, "I have a package from Queen Asuna. Do you thi..."  
"I'm so sorry Haruka. Right now isn't the best time for you to visit. Can you please come back another time like maybe in two more moon cycles?" Misty gasped for breath and desperately tried to push me back onto Flare.  
"Wait, Kasumi, it's really important and..."

I could see that Misty was panting. She must have ran a long way to come here and greet me. "No, Haruka you don't understand it's just that they're..."

"Kasumi, it's rather rude to not invite guests in don't you think?" a male's voice interrupted. Instinctively, my body stiffened up. I knew that voice. I raised my head and saw Drew Shuu of the Rising Waves and Paul Shinji of the Tidal Currents.  
Kasumi swiftly lied, "I was only telling May about my new room decorations, Drew. I'm not like certain people who spend their whole lives training. Come on, May." I snagged my bag off Flare's back and walked after Misty. When I reached the two successors, I nodded slightly and politely before proceeding. _Stupid courtesies, stupid manners, stupid rules, _I grumbled. Having to bow to those two barbarians was disgusting and completely unnecessary. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Flare fly away to the landing area, set up for partners of guests visiting the Hippocami.  
"Mayyy," Drew laughed behind me, dragging out the 'y' for much longer than necessary, "Say, how about a little competition later after the feast? If you're up to it, that is." he said with a hint of a mocking tone in his voice.

I answered without turning around, "I do not remember being ever acquainted with you, Shuu. I hope you've learned properly from when you were young that you should call me Haruka." Then I stalked off into the village with Misty hurrying after me.

"Good afternoon, Grandma Lila!"

"Hey there Shema, how's Ursda's training going?"

"Long time no see Robert," I called out, greeting the people in the village while slightly skipping. Misty laughed good heartedly as we finally reached her hut.

"Seems like you know everybody in my tribe better than I do,"

"Not true!" I proclaimed while walking into the hut. Kasumi lived in one of the biggest huts in the village since she was the successor of the Hippocampi, but it was the style she added inside her rooms that made me love her house the best. Across the ceilings and walls were strings of sea shells and many charts about stars and dreams.

Misty plopped down on one of the mats on the floors and indicated for me to sit down too. "I'm sorry; I should have warned you about this earlier. I had a dream that you were going to come, but I've been so busy lately. Oh, and about hat packet you have: King Cresegwa Mukuri will be back tomorrow. I think you should keep it until then."

"It's fine, Kasumi. Now tell me, how have things been going lately, especially between you and Satoshi."

"Wh-what are you talking about May?! And how many times do I need to tell you, call us Misty and Ash!"

I remember having a great time that evening. Misty and I laughed the whole time, ate all these sweets, and danced wildly to music. She even demonstrated some of her powers, but it was the next day possibly changed my life forever.

* * *

**(Drew's POV) **

I rolled my eyes as members of the Hippocampi scrambled to assemble their gear. The Harvesting, the annual hunt for a feast before spring, was happening today. Every year during spring, the Hippocampi leave their huts and began migrating around the seas. When fall lurks around, they come back to live in their huts for winter. Before leaving, they spend one day hunting and preparing a feast for everybody to enjoy. This year, members of the Dragon Tribe were invited to the hunt and feast, but the Hippocampi were taking forever to prepare. I saw that brunette girl on the outskirts of the crowd talking to Misty. _How uncourteous, leaving a guest behind just because they can't come hunting with us, _I snorted and Teikado joined in my laugh.

When everybody was ready, King Mukuri gave the signal. One by one, the hippocampi and dragons dived into the water. From the sky, all you'd see were flashes of scales that disappeared, hardly even disturbing the surface. Teikado sprang up and dived smoothly into the cool ocean. The blue waves enveloped my head and I felt a sense of calm wash over me. This was my home, where I belonged, my domain. The water coursed around me, practically begging me to feel their inner strength. I secured my legs around Teikado's back and urged him to catch up with Shinji. Two leaders divided the groups into four and designated each one a hunting area.

The rest of the morning and afternoon was a breeze. Altogether, Shinji and I caught fifteen fish, three squids, and a gathered a basketful of seaweed. Everybody else in our group had great spoils too and were ready to go back. Suddenly, a dark sense of dread crawled up my spine. All the dragons and hippocampi suddenly froze their tracks. Small silver fish began darting around us, swimming as fast as they could. The multi-colored coral on the ground slowly withered and turned into dust. The dragons and hippocampi were freaking out; their riders were hardly able to control them. The sunlight filtering through the water disappeared, enveloping the whole area in pitch black. A heaviness drifted through the air that seemed to remove all oxygen from the water. I cast out my senses, prepared to fight or fly, but I felt nothing, only the cold water whispering _Dangerous...run...unsafe...run...run _

"Alert!" a voice barked. "Behind us!" I whirled around and was greeted with a sight of a dark shadow looming over me before completely blacking out.

* * *

**(May's POV) **

I was practicing flight training with Flare when goosebumps suddenly popped up over my arms, almost causing me to fall off her back.  
_'Haruka! Be careful! You haven't stumbled ever since the fifth year we flew together. What's up now?' _  
"I just got a really bad feeling, Flare. Let's go back to the Hippocampi now."  
_'As you wish,' _she replied and soared back to the seaside. As we neared the coast, I could see the members from the hunt returning, but something was off. I focused my vision and saw black goo pulsing off some of the members, and blood, so much blood, staining the pure yellow sand. My breath caught in my throat as I jumped off Flare and went to survey the wounded. About thirty or so members of the Hippocampi Tribe were bleeding and coated in that black puss. Around seven of the Dragon Tribe were in the same state. I gasped as I saw who King Wataru and Mukuri were supporting. It was grasshead, Shuu boy, and Shinji. Though they were completely coated in the black mud, I could clearly see scratches and bite marks all over them. Shuu had a long cut that skimmed from his left shoulder blade down to his waist. Blood continually gushed out of it and the skin around it was inflamed. Shinji had a gash on his right leg, though it didn't look that deep. Both of them were unconscious and their clan members looked on the verge of collapsing.  
"Make way, make way!"  
"Boil hot water, get the herbal leaves."  
"Send them to barracks 8, 16, and 23!"  
"Take a team of 8 and go into the forest..." All members of the Hippocampi scrambled to do as they were told in the midst of all the confusion.  
"Silence!" King Mukuri boomed. Everybody fell silent, casting their eyes on the leader. He swiftly began giving out orders, "Division 3 and 6, clear out the medical huts and prepare the needed equipment in there. Division 7, take the ones with minor injuries to barrack 8 and 16. Division 8, help the others to 23. Division 4, go look in the storage for the right medical supplies. Division 1, 2, 5, and 10 go track down the **Aleuimer. Division 9, accompany me to the Unicorn Tribe. We must report..."

"No, I'll go," King Wataru interrupted. "I"ll be able to travel faster with my partner."

"Very well," King Mukuri nodded. "Go!"

Somebody tapped me lightly on the shoulder. I whirled around and relaxed when I saw it was only Kasumi.  
I gingerly asked, "What happened?"

Kasumi sighed, "We were divided into groups for the hunt. Drew and Paul's group got attacked by an Aleuimer. Apparently, it was a surprise attack. We were lucky that another group found them before anything more serious happened. Aleuimers are deadly and shouldn't even be near the waters we were around. They live in dark abyss at the depths of the oceans, but we were all hunting near the coasts. King Mukuri is worried, especially about the two successors."

I nodded. I've read about Aleuimers in a book once. They were monsters of the deep, so said descendants of the Kraken. They had ten tentacles, each one covered in deadly thorns that could easily pierce through your skull. Sometimes, the thorns on the Aleuimer could have poison, though very rarely. The ink they sprayed out of their mouths could turn the sky black in a split second and made the air hazardous to breathe.

"I think you should just lay low for today, just in case...they blame you for..." Kasumi hesitantly said.  
"I understand," I answered, smiling softly. "You should go help your tribe now." Kasumi cast one last worried glance at me before diving into the waters to aid with the tracking of the beast.

I made myself busy for the rest of the afternoon, boiling water, preparing poultices, bandaging wounds, helping serve water and snacks to the medical people, but all the time I steered well away from the Dragon Tribe. Misty was right. They might blame me for bringing bad luck on the hunt, not like they would even let me help with their wounded anyways.

'_Harukaa, Harukaa!' _I heard Flare's voice chide. _'You should rest for a little bit. You haven't sat down or ate anything since noontime.' _

"I'll be fine Flare," I responded telepathically, "These injured people need me more than my stomach does right now."

I could just see Flare rolling her eyes at my response, _'Very well. Don't overwork yourself, though, and please be careful with that liquid you're holding!'_

"Alright, I'll talk to you later." I delivered the glass bottle to the tents when a wail pierced through the air. I scrambled towards the sound and saw a large crowd outside the tent where Shuu and Shinji were being healed.

"Nothing we're doing is working! His hand is turning black-we-we don't have any medicine-the p-po-ultices... there's poison in his veins, and we can't pressure it out!" one of the girls from the Hippocampi cried desperately.

"The other guy's cut is healing, but we don't know what's different with the other cut, it's just not closing up. The blood has stopped, but the wound looks like it's getting infected. At this rate, even the unicorn tribe will have a hard time saving him!" Hearing this, I pushed towards the front of the crowd where King Mukuri and Steven Stone (member of the Dragon Tribe) were standing discussing urgently in low voices.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" a voice roared. I saw a flash of plum hair as Shinji came out of his tent.

"Please sir, your wound hasn't completely closed yet. You'll reopen it!"

"SILENCE! What do you mean by you have no medicine to treat Shuu?! Is the Hippocampi Tribe that insufficient!? My wound is closed, why isn't his? You think you want the death of one of our members on your hands?!" Many members from the Hippocampi Tribe shrunk back at his words. A few were even trembling. I took a deep breath, then stepped forward, ignoring the snarls from the Dragon Tribe.

"King Mukuri, Stone, let me help with Shuu's wound." I offered. This was received by numerous threats from the Dragon Tribe.

"You think we're crazy? Letting a member of the Phoenix heal our successor?!"

"Foul little girl. Get out of here. What do you know about healing? Leave it the Unicorn Tribe."

"You'll probably make him die for all we know." I bit my tongue, trying not to lash out, and turned towards the commentators. "Would you rather have the poison stay in his system?" I asked emotionless. "I can pressure the majority of the poison out of his system, if you'll let me. I should be able to stall it enough until the Unicorn Tribe can come." Steven's eyes lit up at this and he stepped forward.

"I am sorry about their rude manners, Haruka of the Phoenix Tribe. Please, please, save our successor if your can."

"Steven! What are you doi-"

"I AM IN CHARGE HERE WHILE KING WATARU IS OUT!" Steven hollered. He gestured towards the tent. I took a deep breath before stepping in. I hope this is right. HEY WHAT DO YOU WANT IN THE BLANK ABOVE. JUST PUT "I SAID" OR "I OFFERED"? um idk i couldnt find a word that really fit Doesn't "offered" fit? I think it does at least XD hhm yea okay

~.~.~.~

Inside the tent, the air was slightly dark and had a musty feeling to it. Drew was laying on a cot. He didn't have a shirt on and I couldn't help but notice that his body was very defined. His green hair was in a mess and the giant slash down his body was definitely getting inflamed. A quick inspection proved that the poison was spreading slowly from the giant wound on his chest though most of it was currently centered on both of his hands which had turned a deadly black.

"Please lift him outside and start a fire a little way off, but in a distance that I can reach," I ordered. Once outside, I mentally called on Flare and watched carefully as Shuu was set down right outside of the tent.

"No, place him where he can be in direct sunlight. I've read about Aleuimer poison before. It spreads fastest if the victim is in a place without light."

'_What are you doing now Haruka?' _

"What do you think? I'm trying to help a member of the Dragon Tribe here."

'_Are you sure this is alright?' _

"_**All people that we can reach with our wings are under the protection of our fire. **_Don't forget that Phoenix saying."

'_Well, whatever you do, try not to overdose him with your fiery protection,' _she trilled before circling higher in the sky. _'Of course I'll support you.' _

"Thank you," I murmured before walking over to the fire. Over a dozen pairs of eyes were on me, which was pretty nerve wrecking. I could feel my legs knocking against each other, but I held my head high and slowly sank my hand into the small crackling fire. I could feel Flare emitting small waves of energy towards me, effectively feeding the little flames. I willed a few of those flames onto my hands so that a small ball of fire began dancing on my palms. I brought over to where Shuu was lying and muttered in sync with Flare, "Fire of the light, I call upon thee, sentophomen unite!"

I heard the gasping of people as the fire lowered itself down into my right hand so that now my hand was glowing a dim orange yellow. With my other hand, I shifted Shuu's arms so that both of them were draping over the side. Then I brought the palm of my hand as close as I could to Shuu's skin without touching it. I moved it over the black area on his hand for about a minute when the first drop finally squeezed out. The poison was slowly leaking out of his fingers and through his nails. Every time the black liquid hit the ground, it'd evaporate with a hiss. By the time I had finished with the right arm, I felt kind of faint, but Flare noticed this and provided me with even more energy, allowing me to finish the other arm successfully before my knees buckled to the ground.

"That's all I can do for now," I panted, "I can't get the poison out of his upper body, but without his arms poisoned, I think he is in stable conditions." Steven Stone of the Dragon Tribe helped me up and led me to the hut I was sharing with Misty. Before I went inside he quickly murmured to me, "Thank you! I will never look at the Phoenix Tribe the same way again. The Dragon Tribe is truly grateful to yours."

I turned around, "There's no need to thank me. I only did what anybody else would have done." Then without waiting for an answer, I gently shut the door, crashed onto my sleeping mat, and completely passed out as a massive wave of exhaustion swept over me.

* * *

**(Drew's POV) **

I woke up feeling sore all over. Where was I? I quickly sat up and winced as a sudden pain seared across my whole chest.  
"Careful," a voice warned. A blonde hair girl approached me with a tray of food in her hands. Based on her attire, she was from the Unicorn Tribe. "That cut you got from the Aleurion is still pretty nasty. You're lucky that girl was able to get the poison out of you before we arrived. I don't think you would have survived otherwise."  
"What do you mean..."  
"Do you not remember the sea monster assault?"  
"There was a giant black shadow, then..." I shook my head. "I don't remember anything after that."  
"The 'shadow' was an Aleuiron. Somehow, out of all the people attacked, you were the only one that got poisoned."  
"You said a girl saved me?"  
"Yes, the successor from the Phoenix Tribe. The one called...what's her name...Haruka! Yes, that's right. Haruka. She used fire magic to force out the majority of the poison." I considered this information for a minute before stating,  
"Can you tell King Mukuri that I'd like to speak with her?"  
"Very well," the girl answered. She placed the tray of food on the table next to me and walked outside, making me the only person in the tent. _Hmph, imagine that. That useless little Phoenix girl saved my life. I guess I should give her some thanks._ Then I turned my attention to the tray on my side and didn't think about anything for the next few minutes.

* * *

**(May's POV) **

I stood outside the emergency relief tent, hesitant to go in. Kasumi had related to me from King Kasumi that weedhead had wanted to talk to me. _Whatever for, _I mumbled to myself, but plucked up the courage anyways and stepped into the tent. Once my eyes adjusted to the lighting, I saw Shuu propped up on the bed wearing a fresh gray robe. He was looking at me with a weird expression on his face. This slightly pissed me off.  
"What are you looking at?" I snapped.  
"Your completely shocked expression," he smirked. I held my tongue and pursed my lips.  
"I just wanted to say thank you," he suddenly said. I stared back at him slightly gaping. I knew my eyes were probably as wide as saucers, especially since he didn't even waver in saying that statement. "Come closer," he indicated patting the edge of his bed, "It's not exactly like I can bite in the state I'm in."  
I slowly walked over and sat down on the far edge of the bed. Up close, I could see that his flesh had regained its color and his arms didn't have any trace of poison left in them.  
I began, "There's no need to thank me...I only did what anybody else would do."  
Drew raised his eyebrow at this statement, but stayed silent. I glared down at my feet, trying to ignore the awkward silence that had suddenly made itself at home in the tent.  
"Here, this is for you." I turned my gaze back on him. In his outstretched fingers was one of the most beautiful and stunning roses I have ever seen. The head was a soft periwinkle color that bordered the edge of blue. Every single petal was sharp and curled towards the center, and on each were dew drops, the color of glistening silver. The stem of the rose was still green and was thornless. I gently took the flower and smelled it. It smelled like the forest's air right after a rain: crisp, fresh, and sweet.  
"Thank you," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks burning slightly. "You didn't have to give me a gift."  
"It's a water rose," he explained, completely waving off my question. "They never bloom when we grow them in our gardens. They just stay as buds. Once we pick them off, we submerge them in water, and that's when the rose blooms fully. It'll stay like that for 3 days before closing back to a bud. If you water if every full moon, then the rose will bloom once again for 3 days before closing again until the next full moon." I tenderly rolled the stem of the rose around in my hands before standing up and giving a deep bow.  
"Thank you again for the gift. I need to return to my tribe now." I whirled around and was about to exit the tent when Shuu suddenly piped up,  
"You have strong powers for someone your age. I'm impressed." I paused for a moment before walking out and preparing to say goodbye to Misty.  
_He's not that bad..._I thought silently.  
_Maybe..._  
_Just maybe..._  
_We can get along._**  
**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Kasumi walked with me as we to the outskirts of the village. "This is a letter King Mukuri wants you to give Queen Asuan in response to the parcel. Make sure to deliver it, 'kay?"  
"Alright," I answered, tucking the paper into my travelling bag.  
"You have to come visit again sometime," May smiled, before she pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.  
"I will," I giggled before climbing on Flare and giving Kasumi one final wave before flying off into the blue sky.  
Once May was out of sight, Misty let out a deep sigh. Worry regained its place on her face. "If only you knew what was going on, May...if only you knew."

* * *

*lymonpe: random name I made up on the spot but it's supposed to be a very ferocious beast that is kind of a mix between a saber tooth tiger and a wolf but its size is small like a bobcat, but if one of its kin is in danger, it will attack without a moment's hesitation.

**A/N: This will probably be my quickest update xD I don't think I can update any faster than this, but remember R&R! And I finally added more Drew POV's in this! My offer still stands of names for Dragon and Phoenixes. Though now names for all the other tribe partners are also in for submission. If anybody's confused PM me. **

**~Leaf ^-^ **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm so sorry for leaving you here once again! I should really update more...but spring break is coming up soon, so maybe I can write another chapter during that time and you guys would get a chapter in a week. Sounds good? ;)**

**Fun Fact: Uummm, I'm pretty sure I forgot to mention this, but just is a good thing to know: The Phoenix Tribe consists of all women and girls, and the Dragon Tribe consists of all men and boys. (Gomen)**

**Onto the story... ~Leaf ^-^**

* * *

**…_...5 years later... (May's POV)_**

I yawned as Flare circled the trees below. Ever since the incident with the Aleuimers, I didn't really have much time to contact the Dragon or Hippocampi Tribes. Life continued on with no surprises or much excitement. I mean, I finally mastered a new fire technique after rejoining my classmates in training, and I've became closer friends with Lyra, but that's pretty much it.

Zoey and I had been assigned border patrol duties in the northwest sector of our territories. Unfortunately, I had always found patrolling to be the most boring task. All you do is stare down at the landscape, looking for non-existent intruders. I could tell that Flare was bored too. Her wingbeat was set at an extremely lethargic pace, and she was thinking about lunch. However, it was on this slow day that I would meet _her_.

~.~.~.~.~.~

At first I had thought it was an oddly colored bush. Flare and I were patrolling our last spot, Icelune Lake, a huge body of water sitting on the border between the Snowy Tiger Tribe and our tribe when I saw a large bushel of green beside the lake. I thought it was a shrub that had managed to take root in the sandy soil, but it's better to be safe than sorry, so Flare flew closer.

What I mistook as a shrub was actually a young girl. I instructed Flare to land and ran over to the blotch of green. The girl was curled into a ball and had two small ponytails on either side of her head. The rest of her green hair flowed down to her shoulders. Small scratches were visible across her face and arms, but otherwise she seemed unharmed. Luckily, her cheeks were still a rosy pink, a good sign of life. Her pink and black dress was slightly torn.

At sight of the girl, Flare cooed, _'Is this an intruder?' _

"Probably not," I answered. "She's still quite young,so I think she was separated from her tribe or something."

_''Hm? Which tribe?' _

"Sea Serpent. The waterproof dress and slippers are their trademarks."

_'She's curled around something.' _

"Really?" I gently rolled her body around. Hugged tightly to her delicate frame was an egg. It had a slightly scaly surface that reflected violet and pink. "It's a sea serpent egg," I proclaimed, my voice wonderous. "This must be her partner." I carefully dislodged the egg and placed it next to her on the sand. I then grabbed a jar of ointment from my bag and began treating the girl's wounds.

_'Are you sure you should be doing this, Haruka?' _

"I highly doubt she's came here for evil intentions. She doesn't even have her partner, so we could easily fend her off, if needed. If I report this, the Council of Twelve will just make a big deal of it and ruin our relations with the Sea Serpent even more. Besides, Queen Asuna is out, and you know how unreasonable the Council of Twelve can get."

_'Oooh, Haruka is helping an enemyyy,' _Flare teased before motioning a fiery wing to a small enclosure formed from the roots from a large tree, which was just a few meters away. _'Bring her over there to rest.''_

Together, we carefully carried her to the makeshift shelter and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. The egg was gently placed between her head and a burly root. Then I took out all my provisions I had on hand and set them on the ground.

"Let's go, Flare," I said, abruptly standing up and walking outside.

Flare's eyes narrowed, "Are you sure it's alright just to leave her here?"

"She has food and water if she wakes up. Based on her conditions, she might not wake up for three days. All we can do right now is let her sleep it out. Nobody's going to take the time to thoroughly check this area, and even if someone does, we're in good terms with the Snowy Tiger Tribe anyways, so she'll be fine." I jumped onto Flare's back, and she flew up into the sky. A strong gale whipped my brown hair out of its ponytail. I gave one last glance at the tree trunk where the young child was hidden.

_I hope she doesn't catch a cold..._ I murmured before heading back to the tribe.

* * *

**(Drew's POV) **

"Yeah, 'cause somebody pounding on the door is the best alarm clock in the world," I grumbled as I got out from under my covers. I quickly ran a hand through my hair and plodded to the door. It opened with a click, revealing Steven, who practically fell on top of me, and began blabbering in an unknown language.

"Slow down," I mumbled, still half asleep.

"DREW!" he shouted; I thought I heard my eardrum crack. "She's missing from her room! Your whole family's already out looking, and you're in here sleeping your head off!" My eyes snapped open at this statement. Seeing my expression, Steven nodded and left the room.

_Screw this, _I mumbled, and hastily threw on some clothes and a navy blue cape. _When will she ever learn to control that patience of hers?_

I ran outside to where Teikado was already waiting with some other dragons.

"_Shuu...you're wearing your shirt inside out,"_ he ended with a slight giggle. I rolled my eyes and ran back inside. When I returned, I leaped onto Teikado and urged him forward.

"We're going to end this search fast," I ordered.

'_Aye!' _Teikado replied and shot up into the clouds.

* * *

**(May's POV) **

"I'll go on the border patrol!" I piped up quickly as our mentors assigned us duties for after we were done training. They gave me a strange look but dismissed it. Once given the "OK," I quickly hopped onto Flare and flew over to the hideout at Icelune Lake. When I arrived inside the roots, I trickled some water through the girl's lips and replaced the food with new ones in my bag. It had been two days since I found her, and not once did she open her eyes. To my surprise, her wounds seemed to have healed very quickly, but if she didn't return to her tribe soon, there was bound to be some trouble. As I began to pack up my bag, I heard a rustle behind me and shifted my legs to the side just as a knife clattered onto the ground where I was originally sitting. I picked up the knife and slowly turned towards the girl. She was barely sitting up, and her wide green eyes were quivering in fear.

"You really shouldn't move when you're in a state like that," I murmured softly and slid the knife back over to her. Then I gently placed two fingers onto my lips and brought them slowly to my temples. It was a signal of peace between the Twelve Tribes, something that symbolized that you meant no harm, and you could be trusted. The little girl's shoulders relaxed slightly at that, but she still looked around warily. I pushed some bread towards her, but she just stared at it, paralyzed. Flare stuck her head inside the tree trunk, _'Haruka, I found these...Oh, look, she's awake.' _ I suppressed a giggle as the girl practically jumped a foot backwards at the sight of Flare's head. I scooted slightly closer to her.

"My name's May Haruka," I gently began. "You may know me as one of the successors of the Phoenix Tribe. I found you collapsed outside this place two days ago, and brought you here. Do you remember what happened?" The girls eyes suddenly widened, and I heard her speak for the first time,

"Arali? Where's Arali?!" She began to search frantically until her eyes landed on the Serpent Egg behind her. Hastily, she got to her feet and stumbled over to inspect the egg. "Thank goodness she's fine!" she suddenly blurted out, the relief evident in her voice. Then, as if a burst of energy had suddenly entered her, the moment she turned around, a flood of words nearly knocked me over. "Thank you so much for taking care of me and Arali! I can tell that you've been treating the egg since its color isn't dull yet. My name is Muzumi! Nice to meet you. I should really leave now, but I don't feel like it. Do you think I could stay here for a little bit? My mom's always so strict and everything and insisting that I have to live up to my big brother."

"Whoaa there," I laughed. "Slow down now. Here have some bread and fruit. You haven't eaten in days, so you must be starving." Mizumi grabbed the bread hastily (she must have decided she could trust me) and began to stuff it into her mouth, then quickly followed up with a barrage of fruits. May took this opportunity to speak, realizing that she would hardly be able to get a word in edgewise when the girl's mouth was empty.

"I know the Sea Serpent Tribe travels a lot, but what were you doing in Icelune Lake? Do you remember how you even got onto the shores?"

"Uumm," Mizumi said, letting her head tilt to one side causing, her pigtails to bounce. Then she pucked up her lips and put on a serious face, "I remember I was looking for Arali..."

"Looking?"

"Yea! We get our partners through searching. When it comes of time, a voice is speaks to us in our hearts and drives us towards where a serpent egg is. In their natural habitat, sea serpent eggs can lay for hundreds and thousands of years, but once you get chosen by a egg, you have to take care of the egg. It becomes your responsibility and you must nurture it 'til it hatches."

"So you were looking for Arali?"

"Yea! But there was this strong current underwater and I was unable to do anything against it. After that, my memory's blank."

I smiled at the little girl's hyperactive attitude. "Well, at any rate, we need to get you back to your tribe in a manner that won't spark conflicts between our tribes."

"NOOO! I don't want to go back yet. Please, sissy! Can I call you that? Sissy? I've always wanted a sister, but all I have is a brother. Anyways Sissy, can you tell me some stuff about the Phoenix Tribe? I really want to know more about it, and I can get back by myself. I know the way back from here, so you don't need to worry. Nothing will happen between our tribes. Please, please, please? Uhhh..." Mizumi suddenly groaned, bending over her stomach. I felt my breath hitch then reached out to her.

"What's wrong Mizumi?"

"My leg suddenly really hurts,"

"Let me see it," I turned the small girl around. Both of her legs looked fine. The skin wasn't inflamed but there didn't seem to be any major gashes or cuts, only the minor ones that had been treated with ointment. Confused, I rubbed my eyes and checked over her feet again. This time, a small symbol on her left heel caught my eyes. It was a simple black circle surrounded by a larger circle, and a zigzag line crossed through everything.

"Mizumi...what's that?" I asked trying to keep my voice calm. The girl stared at her foot, but just sat up straight, "I don't know Sissy, but it doesn't hurt anymore. See!" she bounded up and danced around as if to further prove her point.

I grinned and rubbed Mizumi's hair. She was really cute in her own way, especially those eyes that gave off such innocence...but now that I think of it, those emerald eyes and that green hair of hers looked really familiar. Where have I seen them before? I racked my brain, but to no avail.

A quick glance outside confirmed my fear. It was already getting dark. She had already been gone for a couple of days, so another one couldn't hurt...right? I gave Mizumi a hug, told her I'd be back tomorrow with more food, and patted her back in a slow, comforting beat. Once she fell asleep, I climbed onto Flare; she shot up into the sky. As I stared into the clear starry night, Flare's voice reached me: _'Haruka, why didn't you tell her to leave at night? She could have gone back, and it would have been even harder to trace her back to us.'_

"You saw that thing on her heel, too, didn't you? Something about it bothers me. I feel like I've seen it somewhere, yet I can't quite wrap my fingers around it.

_'Very well...' _Flare trailed off. _'I hope you've thought about this completely through.' _

"Mmm...I'll research it tomorrow, then send her back. Everything will be fine." I then dozed off, trusting Flare to get us back to the palace.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**(Nobody's POV) **

**"The stars are shifting," a voice rasped. "Now is the time when the sun and moon collide, when stars shall fall from the heavens and darkness descends. Our time has come now. We will lead the path of shadows!" the voice cackled. Hundreds of other voices joined in inside that dark cave, along with menacing growls that echoed for miles and miles.**

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

**(May's POV) **

"Mizumi!" I called out cheerfully as I hopped off of Flare. The green-haired girl rushed outside from between the roots of the tree, jumping exuberantly.

"I'm really hungry, Sissy. Do you have anything to eat? I've been really good. I haven't made a single sound until now! I just slept and took care of Arali! You promised me you would tell me stories about the Phoenix Tribe, so will you tell them while I eat? Please?" I laughed. It was impossible to not smile around this girl; she was like a contagious bundle of happiness. From my sack, I produced a canteen of stew, a couple of biscuits, and an apple. Both of us went inside, and as she ate, I told her about how I met Flare and described some of the famous dishes from our tribe. In return, Mizumi shared about her searching for Arali again in great animation with her hands. As time flew by, I found myself quite fond of the girl. She reminded me of a little sister that I had always wanted, but never got.

Everything was going well, but just as Mizumi was about to launch into another discussion of her favorite seafood dish, I felt a surge of unease pass through me that linked to Flare.

_"What is it, Flare?"_ I asked her mentally.

_'Somebody's coming...and they're not from our tribe.' _

"That's impossible, unless it's from the Snowy Tiger Tribe."

_'Nope, it's not the Snowy Tiger either. I can't identify it. It's definitely someone who's hardly ever-or even never-crossed our borders before.' _

"Sissy, Sissy, what is it?" Mizumi asked, peeping out from behind me.

"Stay here," I ordered, and ran outside, and stood next to Flare. She scooted closer to me in a defensive position so that her feathers brushed my arm. The trees on the far side of the lake being to shake violently-so violently that some of the branches snapped off. Suddenly, rising as the morning sun, a blue dragon appeared. A dragon on Phoenix territory! At this sight, Flare and my senses immediately sharpened ten percent.

"Up!" I ordered. Flare did a vertical take-off, and we sped towards the enemy. From the insides of my sleeves, I shot out two daggers at the intruder, each encased in flames. Casually, the rider and his-or her-dragon dodged them. I was about to send out six more when I finally gained sight of the rider-it was none other than Shuu! His green hair whipped wildly in the wind, but he looked relatively calm. On the other hand, his dragon wasn't. Uneasiness reflected clearly in his eyes, and his tail jittered.

"Shuu," I snarled through my teeth. Angry spheres of flame were already building on my hands, but I resisted the urge to fling them at his face.

_'Shall I peck all the scales off that dragon?' _Flare snickered, obviously loathing the fact that the creature was anywhere on Phoenix territory. She flew in a circle around Shuu and the dragon, who, for some reason, haven't moved. I kept a tight stance but murmured back, "No, we can't attack recklessly, even though he is our enemy. He is still the successor of the Dragon Tribe."

Shuu put his hands up as a sign of surrender-pfft! as if!-and slowly stated, "Haruka, please, I'm not here to attack the Phoenix Tribe. In fact, I'm not even here on behalf of the Dragon Tribe,"

"Ha!" I laughed, "That's very funny. Why else would you be here?"

"I'm looking for my sister. I sensed her magical aurora around here, so I told Teikado to fly here against his will."

I scoffed, "Your sister, really. Why would we have your sister? I don't recall any of the tribes ever taking captives when not in times of war. Now, I ask that you leave peacefully, so that your face won't be roasted right here."

He flicked his hair. "Hmph, fine, don't believe me. I'm saying nothing but the truth. Trust me, I don't want to be here either, and I wouldn't be i-"

Drew was cut off by a little voice screaming in the background. "BROTHER! BROTHER! PLEASE DON'T HURT SISSY! I'M FINE, YOU SEE?" Flare and I both whirled around at the voice. Mizumi was standing in the shallow end of the water, jumping up and down,, her hair was flying around just as crazily. Mizumi...wait...Mizumi was Drew's sister?! My eyes widened at the revelation, but I felt like hitting my head against a rock at the same time. Of course! That's why she looked so familiar! That green hair, those emerald eyes-the same ones I had seen on the day of the Meeting. The similarities now were so obvious, it kind of scared me.

Shuu and his dragon flew towards the little girl before I could say anything. Flare floated down to where Mizumi was hugging Drew's legs. "You did come for me, brother! Hehe, I'm so happy," Mizumi giggled. Drew's expression was soft, but his voice was stern and harsh.

"And what do you think you're doing, Umi?! I told you that I would help you search for the egg in the afternoon, but you just go run off on your own. Do you know how worried our parents are?! Do you know how much of our tribe has been dispatched just to find you because you were under our care? Do you understand how much trouble you've caused and how much trouble you'll be in? This is what you get from that impatience of yours. Learn to control it, can't you?" Mizumi looked downcast, but her expression quickly reverted.

"Let me show you the egg, brother! Her name is Arali. She's beautiful!" And with that, she ran inside to the tree trunk. I smiled gently at the pair; they obviously loved each other very much. However, when Drew turned around, my gaze immediately hardened. "Do not jump to conclusions. Since I have let you stay here, you better repay in means necessary, and I'm curious...how did you manage to stay undetected for so long in our territory?"

Shuu smirked. "Do not worry, I understand very well. I won't tell my tribe about this. I'll just say I found her sleeping in a cave on the beaches, so let's call it even again, shall we? I thank you for taking of Umi. Even so, I bet she could have survived on her own. As for your question, I have no reason to tell you do I?" I rolled my eyes. Gee, how much more exasperating could this guy get.

Quickly, I strode over to my saddle pack as Mizumi came back out. In the background, I could faintly hear her wildly animated voice as she presented the egg to her brother. Shuu just nodded and listened patiently for a while before he ordered her to get onto Teikado so they could return to the Tribe and end the searches.

"Sissy!" Mizumi called as she ran over and gave me a giant hug. My mouth twitched up as I bent down and embraced the little girl. "Can I come visit you again?"

"Of course, silly," I chuckled and patted down a loose strand of hair on her forehead. "Members of the Sea Serpent Tribe are always welcomed back here. Come again when Arali hatches. I really want to see her!"

"I will!' Mizumi bounced up and ran over to her brother's dragon. "Thank you, Sissy! Thank you for the food and the stories. Oh yeah, and thank you too, Flare!" Drew helped her onto Teikado, then sauntered over to where I was standing. Out of a hidden pocket in his deep blue cape, he carefully pulled out a flower. It was another one of those water roses. This one was just as beautiful as the last one, if not more. Misty dew drops hung to the petals, making the whole thing scintillate delicately in the sunlight.

I curtly dismissed the gift. "There is no need for thanks. I merely did what was necessary."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Drew remarked mockingly. "Quite rude of a lady to refuse a gift, especially such a rare gift like this, isn't it, Haruka?" he teased, drawing out the syllables in my name. I huffed at the insult and plucked the rose from the confines of his hand.

"Here, take this and read it later." I instructed, handing him a rolled up piece of paper to Shuu. "It's about Mizumi. I don't suggest reading it around her though." Drew raised his eyebrows, but he accepted it without question and shoved it into his pockets. Without another word, he turned around and walked over to Teikado. To my surprise, he was waving as if saying good-bye, though his back was still turned.

'_He isn't that bad of a guy...' _Flare commented. _'At least he seems to have a heart.' _

I couldn't disagree with that but stayed silent, slowly rolling the rose between my fingers by its smooth emerald stem. I watched as the dragon and the two riders turned into a speck in the sky. Mizumi was waving the whole time. Ahhh, I'm going to miss that child.

"Come on, let's do some aero training, Flare. Then we can go back and eat." I rubbed my stomach. "I'm hungry."

I heard something like a mini-earthquake beside me. _'...Why don't we skip the training and just go back? I'm hungry too.' _

I was about to protest when my stomach gave me away. I laughed, "Whatever, we can always train another day. Let's go home!"

* * *

**(Drew's POV) **

I sat cross-legged on top of a cliff. Rowdy waves crashed against the high rocks, occasionally spraying salt water on my face. Above me in the sky, Teikado chased his own tail.

_'Are you sure you should open that scroll?' _Teikado hummed. He was in an awfully good mood today, probably because of the fish he had caught earlier. I ignored him and unrolled the paper. Scanning the contents carefully, I whistled. To be able to gather this much information in one day. That girl really was something.

_'Shuu, Shuu, what does it say?' _Teikado persisted, flying in rapid circles around my head.

"Stop, you're giving me a headache," I groaned. "And it's nothing important. Come on, we need to get back or else I'm going to miss my lessons, which will get me another lecture from Papa."

* * *

**(Nobody's POV) **

"Thank you for the report, Haruka. You're dismissed. Don't worry, the Council of Twelve won't be informed, not for something as small as this. Thank you for the research. I'll look over it now."

Haruka gave a quick bow, then softly asked, "How was the meeting with the Griffin Tribe, Queen Asuna?"

Queen Asuna sighed and shifted into a more comfortable position on her chair.

"Things worked out eventually. There's no need to worry, Haruka, and I think your Master is looking for you. Don't make her wait." May dipped her head, though worry was written all over her face. She hadn't wanted to trouble the Queen with information about Mizumi right after she came back from a meeting about a misunderstanding.

The Griffin Tribe and Pegasus Tribe had been arguing for the past few months about freakish weather that had hit both of their tribes. Both tribes claimed the other was trying to ruin their huntings and training by blocking out the sun with gigantic clouds. Small skirmishes had sparked as a result, causing the storms to drift into Phoenix territory. What else could you expect from power users of weather and air?

"I'll take my leave now," Haruka said and skipped out of the room. Flannery Asuna laughed at the girl's childness, then shifted her attention to the document Haruka had gave her. Her eyes drifted leisurely over the words on the paper until she reached the bottom.

Suddenly, she bolted upright, the color drained out of her face. "That symbol...no...it's impossible. It cannot be happening! It cannot be happening..." Shaking her head, Queen Asuna took a few deep breaths and looked carefully at the picture again. Then, as if it was an incantation, she whispered, "History, ever doomed the day sun and moon collide. A scar always to sever through the bonds of yin and yang..."

* * *

**A/N: Yessss I made Drew have a sister. I think she's adorable. I would want to have her as a sister. **

**If any of you guys are confused...which you might be because of my incompetence, please feel free to PM me! I will always reply in a day or two. Thank you for all the reviews too. **

**As for now R&R...until next time! **

**~Leaf ^-^**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm so sorry to all my readers! I have many ideas and histories in my stories stored inside my head though sometimes I do not realize that I have not mentioned them anywhere in the chapters! Gomen again. This chapter will be completely May's POV.**

* * *

_**Thump, thump, thump. **_My heart pounded wildly as I ran up the steps of the tribe's infirmary with Dawn slightly ahead. A few minutes ago, Queen Asuna had informed us through a messenger that Dawn's aunt's child had just been born, so we were allowed to skip training to visit them at the care center. The care center soon appeared in view. We stood fidgeting outside the door before it opened slowly, revealing Dawn's mom.

"Hey girls," the blue haired woman softly said. "Come in, but stay quiet. The baby just fell asleep." On the white bed sheets laid Dawn's aunt, Auntie Yani, with a small bundle clutched in her arms. The woman was obviously tired from labor, but her joyful, radiant face seemed to wipe off all the exhaustion. In the corner of the room, I saw my mother. She was close friend's with Dawn's mom and aunts. As I stepped into the room, a low murmur filled the air as the guests tried to keep their voice down. There was a faint sterile smell.

"Hikari, Haruka," Auntie Yani gestured as she shifted in her bed. She held out the small bundle to Dawn and gently placed it in her arms. "Meet your new cousin, Kalume." Dawn was tenderly cradled the bundle as if it were glass that would break at the slightest movement. Inside the wrap of comforts lay a small doll-like newborn with the same blue hair as Dawn and the rest of her family. The eyes were shut tight right now, and the tiny fists were clenched, but a smile seemed to linger on the child's lip ever so faintly. Staring at the wonder in front of her, Dawn breathlessly asked, "Is it a girl or boy?"

"It's a boy," a slightly whiny voice suddenly piped up. I turned my head and spotted a petite girl stand up; she had been previously crouching by the white bed sheets. _Ilyu, _I thought quietly. She was Dawn's cousin and sister of the newborn.

"Mama said Kalume has to go to a different tribe, and she has to too for some time. Why can't he stay here, Hikari? That's unfair, I want to see my brother more," Ilyu pouted. Uncle Teslui. her father, snapped, "Ilyu, that's enough out of you. If you can't behave here then when Aunt Johanna heads back, then so will you." The little girl shut right up, though her mouth was still in a visible pout.

After conversing with Aunt Yani and some of Dawn's other family members for some time, I dismissed myself before running back into my room and changing into a forest green tunic and some gray pants. A small leaf hair clip and a pair of slippers completed the outfit. I cast one last look in the mirror before grabbing a small satchel bag and running to the take-off area. My mom and I were about to set off on our annual trips to visit Dad and Max. Considering they were in the Gryffin Tribe, we hardly ever got to spend time together, so during this time of the year, our whole family would have a get together of about three weeks. The thoughts of seeing my family again made me run faster. It was always fun at the Gryffin Tribe. Dad would take us on sort of trip to do something. I wonder what we'd do this time.

On top of the vast platform, my mom was already waiting along with our phoenixes.

"How was Dawn's cousin?"

"He's so addoorrabbllee," I gushed, "though Ilyu looked really upset about not being able to have him in the same tribe."

"Ahh," my mother, Caroline, nodded sympathetically. "We better start now dear, or else your father and Max will complain to us about being late again." Wordlessly, I jumped onto Flare before she set out behind my mother's phoenix, gliding silently among the treetops.

* * *

A few thousand years ago, I had been in the same situation as Ilyu. My father, Norman, was a member of the Gryffin Tribe, so naturally, when my little brother had been born, he and my mom went to go live in the Gryffin Tribe for a little while. It had been really weird, being separated from my whole family, but I guess after a while you get used to it. Traditions and rules are hard to break anyways; proof of that would be the Phoenix Tribe and the Dragon Tribe: the Phoenix Tribe is a strictly female tribe, as the Dragon is male.

As the two birds ascended higher and higher into the azure sky, I took a mental picture of the scene below me and stored it inside my head. Summer brought out the natural beauty of the lands of all twelve tribes. Below us was Phoenix land, probably one of the most diverse of the territories. From lakes, to dormant volcanoes, forests, plateaus, plains, and the base of mountains, the Phoenix territory stretched till it met with the border of the ocean, where the rest of our volcanic islands lay.

Up north were the lands of never-melting snow, home of the Snowy Tiger Tribe. The landscape was mainly dominated by rows after rows of white peaks, while the bottom of the mountains were dotted with clumps of trees. I've been up there once, and it felt like the dead of winter up there even during midsummer. A huge chain of mountains rise up in the south, where the Pegasus and Gryffin Tribe live. As to how they divide a land, that's always been a complete mystery to me. South of the mountains, you find an army of flat rocks. The Millenial Aldabroise Tribe live there, blending in with their natural surroundings. They have access to the ocean from there, but they spend most of their time inside their stone structures. Beyond that, far, far east of the Phoenix lands were the homes of the Nine Tailed Fox and Unicorn, where trees millions of years old blanketed the landscape. Their whole territory is sheltered by the green canopy, dappled by various shades of green alternating in the sunlight.

If you shift your eyes over even more, the trees are slowly replaced by rocks, open plains, caves, and marshes, home of the Dakalune Tribe. Their tribe loves the open night sky probably as much as the Luniron Tribe does, who live directly south of them. The Lunirons lived on open grassland that ran as far as the eye could see. Numerous cliffs, sandy beaches, and a huge bay are located southward. Huts and buildings of the Sea Serpent and Hippocampi Tribes can be seen in various destinations on the rocks and beaches. If you flew southwest from Phoenix land, you'd be lead into the ocean, home of the Dragon Tribe. The ocean didn't have any boundaries, so there are always quarrels between our tribes over who owns certain volcanic islands. Seriously, just because they own the ocean, it doesn't mean they're the kings of everything inside and on top of it.

* * *

"Ow!" I screeched as something sharp stabbed me in the cheek. My eyes flew open and were greeted by a laughing head of oxford blue hair. "Max!" I cried, jumping off Flare and giving his head a nice affectionate rub. He tried to act cool and fixed his glasses before wrapping his arms around my waist. "Haha, May. Do you know how hard it is to wake you up? I had to ask Flare to peck you."

"Max Masato!" I chided, "do you have any idea HOW SHARP A PHOENIX'S BEAK IS?!"

"Geez, sis, chill. It was just a joke." A chuckle from the sidelines interrupted me before I could snap back a retort. I felt my mouth immediately twitch up into the smile as I spotted my father, Norman. He still looked the same as ever, his back held proud, his head harboring that short black hair of his. "You've grown taller again May, and you need to show me that new fire move that you promised to show me." I beamed at my dad's compliment before Mom came over and whispered something into his hair. Sensing that our parents would want some time along, Max and I sneaked off with Flare.

'_It's nice to see you again, Masato,' _Flare greeted. Partners could talk with other people in their hands if they chose so, and Max was one of the few people who didn't find it weird to have anybody else but his own partner inside his head.

"It's nice to see you too, Flare!" he smiled while patting the crown of her head. "I can't wait to show you guys my griffin, Rosalare! Last time you guys her, she was just a fledgling. Now she's almost full-grown! Well, she's at least big enough that we can do aerial training..."

We landed on the platform of a huge treehouse. The trees that grew up here in the mountains of Gryffin and Pegasus land were almost as old as the ones in the forest of the Nine Tailed and Unicorn. Thus, many of the buildings consisted of tree houses linked to each other with bridges. These adobes were furnished elaborately and has plenty of room for riders to land and for Gryffins to sleep in.

The house my father and Max lived in was sheltered underneath a red wood tree. The interior was designed with natural furniture, like chairs made of bamboo and curtains made of palm leaves. Max dragged me to his room, where he flopped down onto his bed. I made myself at home in a bean bag chair in the corner. The few seconds allotted me to examine my surroundings. The shelf full of things Max found interesting is still on the side of the room. You could find almost everything there: rocks, animal fur, feathers, pressed flowers and leaves, nuts, painting supplies, dyes, berries, books...etc. When my gaze finally went back to Max, he was already up and lacing up his boots.

"Can we have a duel, May?" he pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

"Max..." My voice gave out a warning tone.

"Plleeasseeee. I promise you, I'm much stronger now. Definitely not as strong as you Sis, but I still want to try, and you can see my aerial combat moves."

"Fine," I gave in. It's not like I didn't understand. When I was at Max's age, all I thought about was getting stronger. A small laugh escaped his lips as my stomach let out a low grumble,

"Finneee. Let's get something to eat first," he offered, walking into the kitchen. I agreed wholeheartedly, walking through the vines draping over the door frame.

* * *

A small cloud of dust rose as I slid one of my feet straight out, balancing my stance. Max and I had been dueling for about ten minutes. It had started out with hand to hand combat, since beginners should warm up first before using elemental powers. Max had insisted he didn't need a warm up, but as his senior I forced him to.

"Come on, May. We've been doing nothing for the past ten minutes,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I retorted. "This is for the good of you, you know, and it's not like you haven't been using your wind powers to boost your speed." At that comment, Max's face immediately flushed red.

"You noticed!"

"You're so silly. How would I have not? It's not like I've never trained with Dad before." Without warning, a small puff of fire shot out from my hands towards Max. It was weak and misaimed so that he could dodge it easily. "Sis! Not fair,"

I smirked, "A warrior should always be ready for combat and never let his guard down." A small sidestep to the right helped me evade a wind attack. Wind attacks were one of the most fascinating elemental powers to me. They were a sort of translucent white that was barely visible, until it hit you.

After my offense, Max stayed in place for a few seconds. Trails of wind began dancing up his arms and legs until they enveloped them into a sort of mini tornado.

"So you're already that far in your trainings?" I asked as I mimicked his actions. Flames danced across my palms and legs, embracing them so they were on fire. Ignoring my question, Max charged, the wind increasing the speed and strength of his arms and legs. I dodged a punched aimed at my shoulders and returned it with a punch at the jawline, easy blocked. We parried like that back and forth for a few minutes with dodged punches, kicks, feints and the like until Max decided to become serious.

"Twirl!" Max called as he blew on his fist and flicked it open. A small whirlwind with a diameter of about a foot appeared next to him and began swirling towards me followed by a second and third. "Give it up sis, even the strongest of fires can be diminished by winds."

"Like I would," I yelled back. "The laws of natural elements play no role here." Two columns of flame erupted from my hands, shooting towards two of the three winds. The storms easily swallowed them up, edging closer and closer to me. Instinct took over me as I weaved in and out of the storms, left, right, left, back as they completely encircled me. Feeling confident that I was trapped, the boy didn't see the flame ball hurling at him before it was too late. Max lost focus on controlling the winds as he just barely dodged. With a soft howl, all the winds died down into the dust.

"You need to maintain stability," I advised before noticing both of our parents standing on the borderline. I cast a quick wink towards Father.

"Alright." I raised both of my hands up in the air so that my palms were up towards the sky. "Are you ready, Max, to be completely defeated?" Max scoffed at the question and transferred a defensive stance.

"Infinite Infernor Wheel," I called, bringing my hands back down in a full circle. A trail of flame followed the path of my hands, forming a complete circle of flames. A smirk pulled across my lips as I grabbed the corners of the ring and splitting it into two smaller circles. I flicked my wrists, sending out one of them like a frisbee towards Max. He dodged it with a jump only to find it hurling back at him.

"Oh did I forget to mention that they act like boomerangs and always return to me?" I taunted, catching the flying disc. Then I ran, both rings in hand, swiping at my brother relentlessly. He responded by having blades of air circle around him. I jumped and aimed a kick fueled with flames towards Max's neck as distraction before tossing both rings into the center of the tornado. As the air began to die down, it revealing Max completely encircled by the original ring. It wasn't close enough to burn him, but close enough so that if he moved his arm, they would be burned.

"Ack," Max grumbled as I released the fires, making them sizzle into smoke. "I'll catch up to you one day, sis. You just watch." I smiled and reached out a hand to rumple his hair,

"I'll be waiting."

* * *

I watched contentedly as Flare and Rosalare fell asleep together on a nest at the side of the house. Rosalare had really grown. Her fuzzy brown baby down was still present in some of the feathers, but the feathers were slowly growing out to be a sepia. The gryffin now came up to Flare's chest, and though her wing span was much shorter, it was enough to carry Max around and to perform aerial techniques. The duo had performed some after dinner, and I have to admit, the Gryffin really is a creature built for the winds.

A small glimmer flared up in the sky, catching my eyes, before streaking through the darkness. "Look, May, It's a shooting star. Make a wish," Max smiled as he clambered up next to me. One thing I had always loved about the Gryffin Tribe was that at night, if you climb up the trees of where their houses are built on, you get a beautiful mural of the starry sky.

"What'd you wish for?" Max asked.

"That's a secret, dummy," I stuck out my tongue as I shoved him playfully.

"You know what I wished for." Before I had a chance to reply, he plowed on, "For you to be able to live here for a few years so that we can spend more time together." Max finished wistfully. My expression softened as I pulled him into a hug, a rather awkward one considering we were both sitting. "You know you can always come visit me whenever you want, and I can always come here whenever too."

"That's different, and I can't even live there for more than a month." Max mumbled. I didn't respond and instead untangled his arms from mine.

"It's getting late. You should go sleep now."

"What about you?"

"I'll come down later," I explained softly. "I need to think about some things." Max nodded slightly before climbing down the tree and slipping in through the roof of the house. After making sure that he was inside, I swung my feet up to the branch and rested my back against the bark of the tree. Max's sudden confession had surprised me. It reminded me of Ilyu from earlier with her brother.

Everything he said was true though, and had bothered me a lot more before than now. I could probably stay in the Gryffin Tribe for months and even live here if I so chose, but Max could only stay as a guest for the Phoenix Tribe for a month and couldn't live with us, for the sole reason of the Phoenix Tribe being strictly all female. Just like how the Dragon Tribe is strictly male. It started a couple billion years ago, or maybe before that. My mother had told me the stories a few times, especially when I was young and wouldn't go to sleep.

~.~.~.~.~

**Flashback starts (younger May and her mom) **

_"Mom, I can't sleep." I complained, rubbing my eyes while dragging a teddy bear behind me down the steps. Caroline sighed as she picked me up and brought me back to my bed. _

_"If Mom tells you a story, do you promise to go to sleep?" my mom asked, as she tucked me back under the covers. _

_"Yes," I answered, squealing inside happily. I loved bedtime stories, especially ones told by my parents. _

_"A long time ago, before the twelve tribes, the land here was complete nature, deserted, with forests and glistening lakes. A band of people landed on the bay one day of this world. They had fled, in an attempt to escape the warring lands, but a freak had drove their ships off course making them land here. On their fifth day here, two majestic creatures appeared in front of them, one of the water and one of the fire: the dragon and the phoenix. They landed in front of a man and woman, gifting them each with a prolonged life and elemental powers. _

"_There had been a legend among the numerous creatures on this island that on the day a group of humans arrived, would their fate change, and they would become their partners and guides. The dragon became the partner of the man, and the phoenix of the woman. Other creatures of the water and fire came, claiming their own partners, establishing the deep bond that runs in their hearts, even today. The dragon and phoenix that first arrived explained to their partners that they were to become the leaders of the new tribes, the Dragon and Phoenix Tribe. The Dragon shall consist of all males, and the Phoenix of all females because of the destructive natures of their powers. They must work together to keep the balance of the water and fire since they do not mix. Water and fire, like the moon and sun, ying and yang, male and female. _

"_Together these two tribes built up the land. With the help of their partners, they created the new powers of wind, earth, nature, and all the other ones present in the twelve tribes. Nearing their times, the original man and woman who had started this all were called together along with all twelve tribes that had formed. Together they presented to the land a crystal blue orb, forged together from the crystals found in the deep ocean. Inside was a flickering flame, never to be put out, forever ignited. Imbedded in the center was a dagger with a pitch black blade made of the metal in the volcanoes and a hilt crafted from dragon scales. They proclaimed that this relic was to signify the twelve tribes the Dragon and the Phoenix brought together. Together in a full circle like the orb, they would be strong and survive like the eternal flame. Whatever fissured from outside could be healed, like the dagger. _

"_That very night, the two passed away along with their partners, their duties fulfilled in this world. The twelve tribes continued to strive, growing stronger with each passing year. The Dragon and Phoenix Tribe remained separate, but strong, until that fateful night. It was the night of a blue moon; some stated that the moon's borders were tinged with flickers of red, and it was under this sky that the dagger and orb disappeared without a trace, and along with it, the bond built between the tribes, particularly that of fire and water."_

**_Flashback Ends_**

~.~.~.~.~

I sighed and wondered if the two tribes could ever get along again. Taking one last glance at the twinkling stars, I climbed back down from the tree branch, slipping through the windows of my father's treehouse. I fell asleep without any trouble; visions of graceful forms in the water and sky slipped into my slumber.

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**A/N: Giving a big thanks to you my two editors, Kitsunika and Rish who did some major major editing this chapter. Thank you so much. Oh yeah they also wrote the last part :) So now all of you guys should be clear about the history of the tribes. If you don't understand anything, PM me and I will reply to it, and like always, sorry about the late update *bows*. Lastly R&R! **


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